Extremism is at its peak in 2025. Recently, in British Columbia, Canada's province, two prominent religious sites, the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir (temple) and the Ross Street Gurdwara in Vancouver, were vandalized early on April 19. Both incidents occurred between 3:00 and 4:30 AM. The Surrey RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) and the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) have released CCTV images of the suspects involved in these incidents.
This incident took place on April 19, shortly after a series of violent acts targeting religious places in major cities over the past few weeks. The VPD's Major Crime Section launched a criminal investigation immediately and asked anyone with information to share what they knew.
After collecting and analyzing evidence from the scene and the neighborhood, they obtained images showing a white pickup and two people in the vicinity.
They said two people walked by the gurdwara's front entrance: one was dressed in a yellow cap, a yellow jacket, and black pants, and the other in a grey hoodie and black pants. Later, Pro-Khalistan and anti-India graffiti were spray-painted on the Khalsa Diwan Society’s (KDS) Ross Street Gurdwara.
The search is on
In an effort to advance their search, Canadian law enforcement has shared images of two people spotted outside a historic gurdwara in Vancouver during its desecration with graffiti in the early hours of Saturday, appealing to the public for assistance in identifying them.
In a statement issued after the desecration, KDS said, “A small group of Sikh separatists, advocating for Khalistan, defaced our sacred walls with divisive slogans like ‘Khalistan Zindabad.’”
It said it “mourns a painful moment in our community’s history as we gather to celebrate Khalsa Sajna Diwas-a day that symbolizes the strength, unity, and resilience of Sikhs.”
“This act is part of an ongoing campaign by extremist forces that seek to instill fear and division within the Canadian Sikh community,” the KDS management said in its release.
VPD Sergeant Steve Addison said in a statement, “We believe these people may have information about this crime and what the motivation was.”
He added, “We ask anyone who recognizes the people in these pictures or the vehicle to come forward and speak with our investigators.”
In a related incident, the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey, British Columbia, was defaced with similar hate graffiti.
Parshotam Goel, the spokesperson of the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, said, “This is not a coincidence; this was done in a planned way. Somebody is trying to intimidate us."
Last weekend, the gurdwara hosted the Baisakhi parade, or nagar kirtan, while barring pro-Khalistan groups from participating.
Collective efforts
Last December, around 60 Sikh and Hindu organizations, including gurdwaras and mandirs, sent representatives to the Ross Street Gurdwara, where they announced the creation of a unity organization to strengthen ties between the communities. On Monday, representatives from both the gurdwara and the mandir, along with others, met with VPD officers.
KDS’s vice president, Jagdeep Singh Sanghera, said, “We are thankful for the support we have received from the VPD in the interest of public safety. We are confident that the VPD will find those responsible for this reprehensible act.”